Racism charged About 15 members of the Com- mittee Against Racism (CAR) demonstrated Friday outside of the regional offices of the Canada immigration Depart- ment at 1066 West Georgia St. The demonstration was in pro- test of the racist treatment at the hands of immigration authorities by Jamaican tourist Sonia Barnett who after being reason was forced to leave - Canada after less than half of her vacation had passed. See Tribune May 16 edition for full story of Barnett’s encounter with Canada Immigration. harassed and imprisoned for no _ ——— GREATER VANCOUVER CHANGE - (RATION. a (MM ROC gal) a® * fp ay TRIBUNE 'PHOTO—SEAN GRIFFIN = Steps are being ukento setup aso-called Rapid Transit (1986) Committee. Its job will be to supervise the building of a rapid transit system in the Greater Vancouver area. The committee the UTA rapid transit commit- tee, a body appointed by the provincial cabinet, and the Greater Vancouver Regional District (GVRD). But there’s no doubt at all that this committee will operate under the thumb of municipal affairs minister Bill Vander Zalm. I’ve been asked to be a member of this commit- tee but I’m turning it down. I’ve got more than one reason for saying, “‘Thanks for nothing!’’ First of all, the kind of rapid transit system that Vander Zalm has selected (automated light rapid transit) is in my opinion too costly and not the best kind for us. I opposed it before and opted for a conventional type of light rapid transit and have seen no reason to change my mind. Secondly, the way this rapid transit system is being funded is all wrong. Instead of the provin- cial government paying for it (with help from Ottawa), too much of the cost is being passed is being established jointly by | on to the citizens in the form of unduly high fares, gasoline taxes and a surcharge on hydro bills. That property will also be taxed to pay for it is almost a certainty. Furthermore, the GVRD has . Harry Rankin shown conclusively that the light rapid transit system that Vander Zalm has selected will cost a lot more than he estimated. I’m not referring to a few dollars; I’m talking about hundreds of millions. Where will this money come from? Vander Zalm is silent on this question because as-far as his government is concerned, this cost too will be passed on to the citizens of the GVRD. : . Then finally, there is Bill Vander Zalm himself with his Won't do Vander Zalm’s dirty work lip and changing direction without notice. Where this com- mittee is heading and whatit will do next to please the minister is anybody’s guess. Even Vander Zalm doesn’t know what he will . say or do next! It seems to me that the whole purpose of this committee~is suspect. While ostensibly a joint - undertaking between the pro- vincial government and the GVRD,, it will in fact be a com- mittee to carry through Vander Zalm’s and Victoria’s schemes. And when the inevitable debts hit the fan, when the committee begins taking steps that’are un- popular with citizens, it will be — the members of the committee who will get the blame. It’s real- ly a committee to, do the dirty - work for the provincial cabinet and Wild Bill. I want no part of it. If Victoria and Vander Zalm_ want to go:ahead with their pet scheme for rapid transit, let them build it themselves and pay for it themselves. While I’m. on the subject of transportation I’d also like to say a few words about the pro- posed new bridge to be built across False Creek to replace the Cambie Street Bridge. The whole purpose of this bridge will be to carry the extra traffic generated by the new stadium and B.C. Place. Both these are provincial government projects. The cost of the bridge is present- ly estimated at $50 million. who are they trying to kid? It will be at least twice that and perhaps over $100 million. Let’s not forget what happened to Gracie’s $24 million Trade and Convention Centre!" ; If a new bridge is to be built, and of course it will be a necessi- ty if they go ahead with the stadium and B.C. Place, then at _ least: 80 percent of the cost should be paid by the provincial government. They have created the problem — let them pay for it. | distributed thousands of leaflets ‘croft development — two fenants — organize Over 50 North Shore tenants got together Tuesday to form the latest in a rapidly-growing number of community-based tenant organizations that are) springing up around the prov- ince. Calling themselves the North Shore Tenants Association, the new group agreed they would | begin organizing tenants around housing-related issues from West NeuOUNSS to Deep Cove. The response % the founding meeting was gratifying for members of the Greater Van- couver Renters Association, who, along with several tenants living on the North Shore, had. to North. Shore residents com- muting to and from work.on the sea bus. North Vancouver District alderman, and guest speaker, Ernie Crist slammed North Shore municipal councils for “dragging their heels’’ in solv- ing the crisis in “affordable housing”’. “Instead of selling off municipally-owned land like we are doing now, we ought to be leasing it for non-profit affor- dable housing.” © Crist also announced that he had, ‘‘after a lot of arm. twisting,’’ succeeded in setting up a North Vancouver district council housing:committee. Among the issues which were raised at the founding meeting and which the new organization will deal with are an absentee slum landlord, an unjust mobile | home eviction and the contin- uing battle by tenants against Daon Corporation. As one tenant explained, Daon, which owns the Wood- massive towers at the foot of the } Lions Gate bridge — has been trying to ‘‘weasel out of Wood- croft’s rental designation and turn them into 100 year leases. "a penchant for shooting from the Liz Rowley. Ku Klux Kian, are suspect. message from a passerby. e © a growing list of homes and offices across Canada which have been targeted for arson attacks in recent months, this week we regretfully must report another, the Hamilton, Ontario home of Communist Party organizer Like other arson attacks, such as those against the Com- munist Party’s national headquarters in Toronto last year, or that against the Canadian Union of Postal Workers of- fices in Ottawa, or those against the homes of East Indian families in Delta this year, right wing extremists, possibly the _ Tt was only weeks ago that Rowley had a warning sent to her via a Canadian Tribune supporter distributing the paper © at a plant gate. ‘“‘Make sure that Liz Rowley knows that the Klan knows her and has got an eye on her,”’ was the grizzly | Since that time Rowley had returned to her ground floor apartment in a Gage Avenue high rise to find the screens cut out of her windows on one occasion, and a pool of water in her living room on another. On another occasion the super- intendent’s child knocked on her door when she was out, and it was answered by an unidentified man. May 16, Liz arrived home late to find her apartment gut- ted by fire. Fire marshal investigators indicated that the fire had been started in seven separate places in three rooms. Al- most all of her belongings, her bed, clothing, books, furni- ture, and even the shower curtains had been torched. If the objective of the Klan, or whatever group is respons- ible, was to intimidate Rowley, they will be disappointed. Asked by the Hamilton press if she intended to assume an anonymous address to avoid further attacks, she said, ‘“No. People and Issues action to stop them.”’ * reason to believe it is, the government and city council will have to take a look at organizations like the Klan and take * will go ahead rain or shine. The Hamilton committee of the Communist Party im- mediately issued a sharp statement calling for police and government action. Pointing to earlier police department claims that the KKK was not present in Hamilton, the party said tersely, ‘‘Stop telling us who it isn’t (responsible for set- a rd ee start telling us who is.” * * * - ehave received anumber of requests for ditections tothe Websters Corners Hall and the Burke Mountain Labor Festival, all set to go this Sunday from 2 p.m. The festival-this year is not in Port Coquitlam as in pre- vious years, but in Maple Ridge, further east along the Lougheed Highway. Drivers should head east out of Van- couver via the Lougheed Highway or Barnett Highway (which merges with the Lougheed at Port Coquitlam) and “continue heading east across the Pitt River and into thetown : of Haney in Maple Ridge. When you reach the centre.of | Haney, turn left past the post office and municipal building , about two blocks and turn right again on to Dewdney Trunk : 5 Road. Follow Dewdney Trunk east about two miles and just A'S = after descending into a deep gully and rising up the hill on the nN : other side, the Websters Corners Hall will be seen on your g right. The address is 25470 Dewdney Trunk Road. e z Program director George Hewison tells us that the prom- Z ised lineup of continuous entertainment from 2 p.m. on is & = confirmed and ready, and Bert Ogden and Dian MacIntosh have the best salmon barbeque anywhere well prepared. All I’m not going to respond to whoever did this by being ‘afraid ROWLEY w with Hamilton CP leader Bert McClure that is needed for a fine dayi i Your attendance. The Festiva of them. If this is politically motivated, and there is good looking over charred ruins of her Gage Ave. apartment. PACIFIC TRIBUNE—MAY 29, 1981—Page 2